Marian Kleinsasser Towne

Background

Marian Kleinsasser Towne was born on July 24, 1933 in Freeman, South Dakota, United States. She was a daughter of John Pierpont and Katherine (Tieszen) Kleinsasser.

Education

Marian Kleinsasser Towne received her Bachelor of Arts from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas in 1955. She also earned her Master of Arts from the University of Chicago in 1958 and from Christian Theological Seminary in 1978.

Career

Marian Kleinsasser Towne worked as an assistant professor of English at Findlay College (now Findlay University) in Findlay, Ohio from 1966 to 1968. She then was an affiliate faculty in speech at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana, during 1982-1992.

Later Towne became a part-time instructor at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana; at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois; and at Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio. In addition, she taught at high schools in Kansas and Indiana.

Besides, Marian Kleinsasser Towne also authored some books, including "Bread of Life: Diaries and Memories of a Dakota Family" (1994), "A Midwest Gardener’s Cookbook" (1996) and "Dreaming the Impossible Dream: The First Thirty Years of the Edyvean Repertory Theatre" (1996).

Achievements

• Marian Kleinsasser Towne was best known for her books "Bread of Life: Diaries and Memories of a Dakota Family" and "A Midwest Gardener’s Cookbook".
  
  Also she received the Valiant Woman Award from Church Women United.

Works

More photos

• book

  • A Midwest Gardener’s Cookbook

    (Divided into four parts corresponding to seasonal harvest...)

    1996
  • Bread of life: Diaries and memories of a Dakota family 1994
  • Dreaming the impossible dream: The first thirty years of the Edyvean Repertory Theatre 1996
  • That All May Be One 1998
  • Celebrating the journey 1999
  • Jacob Hutter's friends 1999

Religion

Marian Kleinsasser Towne has been an adherent of Presbyterianism.

Views

Quotations: "I believe I write to make sense of my experience and to discover what I think and feel."

Membership

Marian Kleinsasser Towne was a founding director of Caring Community, Inc. She was also a member of the national board of directors of Bread for the World and a member of Democratic National Committee. Moreover, Towne was a consultant to Gleaners Food Bank and to church and community ministries.

In addition, Marian Kleinsasser Towne was a member of the National Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, Presbyterian Women, Church Women United (member of national board of directors), and Indiana Theatre Association.

Interests

• gardening, cooking, reading, politics, theatre

Connections

Marian Kleinsasser married her first husband Maynard Kaufman on December 26, 1951, but they divorced in 1961. She then married Edgar Arthur Towne on December 18, 1961.

Marian Kleinsasser Towne has two children - Karl from the first marriage and Stephen E. from the second marriage.

Father:

John Pierpont Kleinsasser

Mother:

Katherine (Tieszen) Kleinsasser

Spouse:

Edgar Arthur Towne

ex-spouse:

Maynard Kaufman

Son:

Karl Kaufman

Son:

Stephen E. Towne

References

• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series. Volume 154